Meet the Director (and Designer!) of TLT's latest production, Frankenstein, Joel Daavid
It's been a few years since TLT tackled a well known horror story (Dracula back in 2007). We wanted something to match the spirit of the season, and we knew we also wanted something different, something that Tallahassee theatregoers had never seen before.
Enter Joel Daavid. Joel comes to us from Los Angeles, where he's an award winning director and designer. When we decided we wanted to do Frankenstein Joel stepped forward and volunteered to bring this monster to life. His unique vision and talents have created a show unlike anything Tallahassee has ever seen before. Over the next few days we'll be giving you some sneak peeks at the production design for Frankenstein, but first we'd like to present the man behind the monster:
Joel Daavid
Website: JDaavid.com
First, tell us a little about yourself and what you do when you're not involved in theater?
When am I NOT involved in theater, that's the question. Theater has become integrated into every area of my life so much that it has become my life-- and I'm good with that. My mother first took me to theater when I was very little and in doing so introduced me to what has become my greatest passion. In the theater, I have done everything; acting, singing, designing and directing, even reaching into opera and ballet. Fortunately, love may be found in the theater as well, as I met and began dating a terrifically talented scenic painter and actress who became my girlfriend, Marine.
How did you first get started in theater? What drew you to it?I first got involved in theater when I was drawn to stage crew in middle school. There, a little ragtag band of technicians gave me the desire to work backstage and develop my first love for the theatre. I did everything I could imagine except costuming. Unfortunately, my foray into acting was fairly short lived. I remember enthusiastically taking the stage in a Shakespeare play, but as curtain opened, I stood there alone, not being able to remember my first (or any) line. When the curtain closed, after what felt like an hour, not a single word had been uttered by either me or my scene partner. The embarrassment faded along with the lines, but began molding my preference to express myself creatively backstage.
My passion for everything arts-related such as photography, fine art and filmmaking also found an outlet in the theater. Theater allows me a larger pallet on which to work; telling the story visually through set and lighting design, it is a natural draw for my artistic interests. I was also drawn to the magic of transporting the audience to a different place and time and the satisfaction of challenging the audience to think about how their lives might be affected or changed, as mine has with every great piece of theater literature I have been involved with.
What specifically drew you to direct a production of Frankenstein a continent-length away from home?
In 2009, I worked with Barbie Nettles in my critically acclaimed L.A. production of The Miracle Worker. Barbie's daughter, Carlie played Helen Keller. As we chatted online one night, she told me that she had been inspired to direct the same play here in Tallahassee. Working in a variety of venues, learning and sharing talents is a great way to grow and keep a fresh approach, so I asked Barbie if there might be an opportunity for me to direct a show at Tallahassee Little Theatre. She spoke with the TLT Board of Trustees and the then new executive director, Theresa Davis, who all agreed to bring me in as an outside director. It was a great opportunity just coming off the successful production of Baby Doll by Tennessee Williams. Frankenstein is an epic tale of a man who dares to play God and the consequences of creating a human being. Arriving in Tallahassee to start my planning, I was pleased to see in person the large stage as I tend to think on a big scale when it comes to all the shows I direct. TLT is a nicely equipped theater with people who are eager to create.
What was the last show you directed and where?
I directed and designed Baby Doll by Tennessee Williams at the Lillian Theatre in Los Angeles to sold out houses and critical acclaim.
What would you say is your biggest challenge on this show?
The biggest challenge for me as a story teller is to make sure that people walk away with a different perspective of the story. Most people associate Frankenstein with the 1931 classic horror film but there is so much more in the novel than what was portrayed in that film. Our production will attempt to better flesh out the story, the characters have so much more depth and inner conflict. I see an opportunity to inspire the deserved appreciation and sympathy for Mary Shelley's intricate and compelling characters. It is not just a horror story but a challenge of morals.
What is your vision for this production? What do you hope audiences take away from the experience?
Walking into a production I always try to approach it uniquely, avoiding the preconceptions audiences bring. My background in design and visual storytelling is quite evident in the choices I make on stage and I try to tell the story seamlessly in a cinematic way. Many of my scene transitions happen right in front of the audience incorporating theater movement, music and projections. I'm not a big fan of the blackout. I try to stage the sequence of scenes so that they almost "cross dissolve" as in film. Many audiences members have told me that watching my plays is like watching a movie. I guess all those years in film school payed off.
Why should people come to see Frankenstein?
I assume that most people would come to see Frankenstein based on the name alone, hoping for some good natured thrills right before Halloween. My hope is that they will be in for a major surprise when they see how beautiful the story is and how the characters themselves are enveloped in the fabric of a world created by one man daring to play God. My goal is for them to walk away with new questions about creation and an awareness of the moral dilemmas we face today with advancing science in areas such as stem cell research and cloning.
Tickets for Frankenstein are on sale now! Order yours by clicking here or call 850-224-8474.
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